Showing papers in "archives of razi institute in 2021"

Effect of Cystamine on Sperm and Antioxidant Parameters of Ram Semen Stored at 4 °C for 50 Hours

Abstract: Physical and chemical changes caused by oxidative stress in the spermatozoa membrane can reduce spermatozoa function and even lead to death. Cystamine (NH2-CH2-CH2-SH, β-mercaptoethylamine) is a natural substance that modulates the endocrine and metabolic status of animals. This substance has antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects by inducing intracellular cysteine accumulation. Cystamine is used to treat many diseases despite its many side effects. Sheep semen is sensitive to the stressful condition of chilling storage, which restricts semen storage for artificial insemination in commercial herds. The effect of cystamine on spermatogenesis is not yet fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of cysteamine addition to the sheep sperm extender during cooling storage on semen quality parameters. Sperm samples were collected from six Edilbayevskaya rams (2 and 3 years old, 70-85 kg). The samples were diluted by extender and supplemented with different concentrations of cysteamine (0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 mM) and cooled to 4oC for 50 h. Motility parameters, membrane integrity, viability, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial activity of cooled semen were evaluated at 0, 25, and 50 h of cooling storage. Although cysteamine failed to affect semen quality at start time (0 hrs), extender supplementation with cysteamine improved sperm total motility, progressive motility, and mitochondrial membrane potential during storage periods (P≤0.01). Moreover, using 1 and 2 mM cysteamine functionally and viably improved (P≤0.01) sperm membrane compared to other treatments. Antioxidant potential (AOP), lipid peroxidation (LPO), and total glutathione (tGSH) (except AOP at 50 h) were significantly different after semen storage at 4 °C. Therefore, levels of AOP and tGSH were significantly increased by using cysteamine. Cysteamine supplementation (1 and 2 mM cysteamine) leads to lower levels of LPO (p<0.01) at 0, 25, and 50 h. Therefore, finding and using the best concentrations of cysteamine in a cooling extender could be effective in saving sheep semen against damages of the cooling storage process.

A New Amphotericin B-loaded Trimethyl Chitosan Nanoparticles as a Drug Delivery System and Antifungal Activity on Candida albicans Biofilm.

Abstract: Amphotericin B (AmB) is an effective antifungal agent. However, the application of AmB is associated with a number of drawbacks and side effects. Application of Nanoparticles (NPs) is known to allow more efficient drug delivery to the target tissues than the traditional methods. In this study, the trimethyl chitosan (TMC) was synthesized from low molecular weight chitosan. TMC was then used for the preparation of TMC-NPs by the ionic gelation method. Then AmB-loaded TMC-NPs (TMC-NPs/AmB) were prepared for and their potential application for drug delivery. The TMC-NPs and TMC-NPs/AmB were characterized for their structure, particle size, Zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), morphology, loading efficiency (LE), loading capacity (LC), in vitro release profile, release kinetic and entrapped AmB potency. Then the cytotoxicity and antifungal activity of TMC-NPs/AmB against Candida albicans biofilm were evaluated. In this study, quaternization percent of TMC estimated to be 36.4. The mean particle size of TMC-NPs and TMC NPs/AmB were 210±15 and 365±10 nm respectively, with a PDI of 0.30 and 0.4, ZP of +34±0.5 and +28±0.5 mV respectively. Electron microscopy analysis indicated uniform spherical shapes with smooth surfaces. The TMC-NPs/AmB indicated LE of 76% and LC of 74.04 % with a potency of 110%. The release profile of TMC-NPs/AmB was best explained by Higuchi model. The initial release after 10 h was 38% and the rate of release after 36 and 84 h was 67% and 76% respectively, which was significantly different (P<0.05) from previous time points. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 50% of NPs/AmB and AmB were 0.65 and 1.75 μg/mL and the MIC 80% were 1.95 and 7.75 μg/mL, respectively demonstrating a significant improvement in antifungal activity. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration for TMC-NPs/AmB and AmB were 86 and 105 μg/mL respectively, indicating a significant reduction in cytotoxicity and the adverse effect. This study could successfully introduce a practical method to synthesize a TMC-NPs. The encapsulation process was efficient and significantly improved the antifungal activity of AmB. The developed method can be applied to improve the routs of drug administration while reducing the adverse effects associated with traditional methods.

Effects of Structural Manipulation on the Bioactivity of some Coumarin-Based Products

Abstract: Coumarin (2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) is a plant-derived natural product known for its pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antihypertensive, antitubercular, anticonvulsant, antiadipogenic, antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, and neuroprotective. Two coumarin-based products were identified in the seeds of two apple phenotypes commonly known as Granny Smith and Red Delicious. The aim of the current study was to evaluate chemically manipulation of these coumarin based products to more lipophilic semisynthetic compounds and to trace the role of the phenolic hydroxyl group in the bioactivity of the parent natural products. The bioactivity evaluation included studying the potentials of the natural- and semisynthetic-coumarins as antioxidant, antineoplastic, antifungal, and antibacterial agents. At the first step the antiradical potential of these products was evaluated versus the free radicals of hydroxyl and DPPH. The second potential was investigated utilizing an MTT-based photo assay versus several cancer-line cells, included SK-OV-3, MCF-7, KYSE-30, LC540, HeLa, AR42J, AB12, and AMN3. The third and fourth potentials were recognized by conducting a disc-diffusion method against six infective bacterial strains and three fungal strains. The test bacteria wereShigella dysenteriae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While the test fungi were Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. The results arising from these biopotentials revealed that the investigated functional group exerted a positive impact on the antiradical and antineoplastic potentials of the natural derivatives, but a negative consequence on their antimicrobial potentials.

The Rapid Development and Early Success of Covid 19 Vaccines Have Raised Hopes for Accelerating the Cancer Treatment Mechanism.

Abstract: The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about rapid change in medical science. The production of new generation vaccines for this disease has surprised even their most optimistic supporters. Not only have these vaccines proven to be effective, but the importance of this disease and pandemic situation also significantly shortened the long-standing process of validating such products. Vaccination is a type of immunotherapy. Researchers have long been looking at vaccines as a possible treatment for cancer (Geynisman et al., 2014). In the same way that vaccines work against infectious diseases, attempts are being made to develop vaccines to identify specific proteins on cancer cells. This helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. Cancer vaccines may help: I) Prevent the growth of cancer cells (Bialkowski et al., 2016), II) Prevent recurrence of cancer (Stanton and Disis, 2015), III) Destroy cancer cells left over from other treatments. The following types of cancer vaccines are being studied: Antigen Vaccines. These vaccines are made from specific proteins or antigens of cancerous cells. Their purpose is to stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells (Tagliamonte et al., 2014). Whole-Cell Vaccines. A whole-cell vaccine uses the entire cancer cell, not just a specific molecule (antigen), to generate the vaccine. (Keenan and Jaffee, 2012).Dendritic Cell Vaccines. Dendritic cells help the immune system identify abnormal cells, such as cancerous cells. Dendritic cells are grown with cancer cells in the laboratory to produce the vaccine. The vaccine then stimulates the immune system to attack cancer. (Wang et al., 2014; Mastelic-Gavillet et al., 2019). DNA Vaccines. These vaccines are made from DNA fragments of cancer cells. They can be injected into the body to facilitate immune system cells can better respond and kill cancer cells (Gatti-Mays et al., 2017).Other Types of Cancer Vaccines. such as Anti idiotype vaccines. This vaccine stimulates the body to generate antibodies against cancerous cells. An example of an anti-idiotype antibody is Racotumomab or Vaxira (Cancer, 2016). However, conditions and considerations after Corona does not seem to be the same as before. The current pandemic situation has also led to major changes in the pharmaceutical and Vaccine production process and international protocols. Some of the most critical issues that can accelerate the introduction of cancer vaccines are: 1. Typical drug and vaccine development timeline. A typical vaccine needs 5 to 10 years and sometimes longer to design secure funding, and get approval (Figure 1). Less than 10 percent of new drugs, which are entered in the different phases of clinical trials, are advanced to approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)(Cancer, 2020a). However, now the situation is not normal. Dozens of Covid 19 vaccines are starting clinical trials. Some of them use RNA and DNA technology, which delivers the body with missions to produce its antibodies against the virus. There are already at least 254 therapies and 95 vaccines related to Covid-19 being explored. However, it seems that the experiences gained in this pandemic, and advances in technology, may be effective in shortening the production path of other vaccines and drugs and the process of its approval at the national and international levels in the future. In Figure 2, the time course of production of conventional vaccines in comparison with Covid 19 vaccines (Cancer, 2020b) is shown.2. The introduction of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology into the field of prevention and treatment. Over the past decades, this technology has been considered an excellent alternative to conventional vaccination methods. Proper potency and low side effects, the possibility of fast production and relatively low production cost are its advantages. However, until recently, the instability of this molecule has been a major problem in its application. This research was started many years ago by two companies that played a significant role in developing the first Covid vaccines, so BioNTech and Moderna were able to quickly transfer their experience in the field of Covid vaccine development (Pardi et al., 2018; Moderna, 2020). Figure 3 shows how mRNA vaccines work. Bout Pfizer n BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines were more than 90 % effective in preclinical stages. Millions of doses of these two vaccines are currently being injected into eligible individuals worldwide. 3. Considering the use of artificial intelligence in assessing the effectiveness of vaccines. There are always doubts about the effectiveness of the new drug in treating the disease. Once the vaccine is widely available, we will know more about its effectiveness versus it works under carefully controlled scientific testing conditions. Vaccines will continue to be monitored after use. The data collected helps professionals understand how they work in different groups of people (depending on factors such as age, ethnicity, and people with different health conditions) and also the length of protection provided by the vaccine. Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging field, which reaches everywhere and not only as a beneficial industrial tool but also as a practical tool in medical science and plays a crucial role in developing the computation vision, risk assessment, diagnostic, prognostic, etc. models in the field of medicine (Amisha et al., 2019). According to the wide range of AI applications in the analysis of different types of data, it can be used in vaccine production, safety assessments, clinical and preclinical studies and Covid 19 vaccines adverse reactions (CDC, 2019). Indeed, most cancer vaccines are therapeutic, rather than prophylactic, and seek to stimulate cell-mediated responses, such as those from CTLs, capable of clearing or reducing tumor burden. There are currently FDA-approved products for helping cancer treatment such as BREYANZI, TECARTUS and YESCARTA for lymphoma, IMLYGIC for melanoma, KYMRIAH for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and PROVENGE for prostate cancer. Over the past decade, most of BioNTech's activities have been in the field of cancer vaccine design and production for melanoma (two clinical trials), breast cancer (one clinical trial), and the rest concerning viral and veterinary vaccines (two clinical trials). Also Maderno company has been working on Individualized cancer vaccines (one clinical trials), and vaccines for viral infections such as Zika and Influenza and veterinary vaccines (several clinical trials) (Pardi et al., 2018). Therefore, it can be said, mRNA technology that has been the subject of much research into the treatment of cancer has been shifted and rapidly used to produce and use the Covid 19 vaccine. The current pandemic situation has necessitated the acceleration of Covid 19 vaccines and drugs and national and international protocols for their approval. If the currently produced vaccines can continue to be as successful as the preclinical and early phase studies, these changes and evolution have raised hopes for accelerating the use of these technologies and mechanisms in the field of cancer and other diseases vaccines, including HIV and influenza.

The Consecutive Hits of COVID-19 in India - The Mystery of Plummeting Cases and Current Scenario

Abstract: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related pandemic has been in existence for almost two years now after its possible emergence from a wet market in the city of Wuhan of the Chinese mainland. Evidence of emergence and transmission of this virus was attributed to bats and pangolins. The causative virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread globally, affecting humans considerably with its current death toll to be over 4.7 million out of more than 233 confirmed cases as of September, 2021. The virus is constantly mutating and continuously trying to establish itself in humans by increasing its transmissibility and virulence through its numerous emerging variants. Several countries have been facing multiple waves of COVID-19 outbreaks one after the other, putting the medical and healthcare establishments under tremendous stress. Although very few drugs and vaccines have been approved for emergency use, however their production capabilities need to meet the needs of huge global population. Currently, not even a quarter of the world's population is vaccinated. The situation in India has worsened during the ongoing second wave with involvement of virus variants with rapid and huge surge in COVID-19 cases, wherein the scarcity of hospital infrastructure, antiviral agents, and oxygen has been implicated for the increasing deaths. Recently, increased surveillance and monitoring, strengthening of medical facilities, campaigns of awareness programs, progressive vaccination drive and high collaborative efforts have lead to limit the surge of COVID-19 cases in India to a low level. This review outlines the global status of the pandemic with special reference to the Indian scenario.

Identification of Main Brucella species Implicated in Ovine and Caprine Abortion Cases by Molecular and Classical Methods.

Abstract: Brucellosis is recognized as a major public health concern leading to critical economic losses in livestock animals. The present study assessed Brucella spp. isolated from aborted ovine and caprine fetuses in different parts of Iran between 2016 and 2019. It used classic and molecular methods in order to determine the Brucella species carrying higher risks of abortion complications in these animals. A total of 189 samples from 35 cases/case series from milk (16 sheep, and 8 goats), 19 abomasum content (sheep), and 146 aborted fetuses (116 sheep, and 30 goats) were bacteriologically examined. Subsequently, the resultant Brucella isolates were further characterized by phenotypic and molecular approaches. The multiplex Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Bruce-ladder) and IS711-based PCR were performed on all the extracted DNA to evaluate the presence of Brucella spp. As suggested by the obtained results, all recovered isolates from ovine and caprine abortion samples were either B. melitensis or B. abortus. An issue of concern was the implication of B. melitensis vaccine strain Rev1 in a small portion of sheep and goat abortion cases. Despite the recent B. abortus burden in ovine, aborted cases were predominantly associated with B. melitensis infections in both ovine and caprine, and B. melitensis biovar 1 was responsible for the majority of studied cases. These data and the techniques implemented in the present study can shed light on the level of implication of different Brucella species in ovine and caprine abortion in Iran. The present study identified Brucella agents responsible for abortion in small ruminants at the biovar level. Therefore, it provides precious information for future control programs and vaccination strategies in Middle Eastern regions.

Mare’s Milk: Composition, Properties, and Application in Medicine

Abstract: Mare's milk is a highly valuable organic substance that has a great potential to replace cow's milk. Consumption of cow's milk causes digestive disorders in some individuals. Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common food allergies among infants. Therefore, finding a protein substitute with the same nutritional value is a priority. Mare's milk can be a good substitute for cow's milk, especially for those suffering from CMA. Prerequisites for this study were the recent interest in mare's milk, as an ancient relic of the Turkic peoples which contains lots of nutrients. The present study aimed to systematize relevant information on the composition of mare's milk and its application in medicine. Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, Elsevier, CyberLeninka were employed for a comprehensive literature search. The searched keywords for this study were mare's milk, saumal, composition, properties, use in medicine. A total of 77 sources were selected for reviewing the literature. Most sources were in English, except for one of the bottom 40 sources published in the last 10 years. Among the milk of many mammalian species, mare's milk is chemically similar to human milk so it can be used as a substitute. It is also used to feed people with various health conditions, especially in patients at risk, or suffering from tuberculosis, hepatitis C, psoriasis, and various types of immunodeficiency. The present study describes the rich composition, antibacterial and antiviral properties of mare's milk. A review of the literature revealed that mare's milk is an excellent thirst quencher, and has valuable nutrients necessary for the human body which is by no means inferior to human milk.

Acidophilic and Acid Tolerant Actinobacteria as New Sources of Antimicrobial Agents against Helicobacter Pylori.

Abstract: About half of the world's population is infected by Helicobacter pylori, which is related to various diseases. The increase in the resistance of H. pylori to antibiotics is alarming and requires new medication candidates. In this study, 83 acidic soil samples (pH 3.9-6.8) were collected from tea and rice farms, located in the semitropical strip in the north of Iran (Lahijan and Fooman cities, Gilan Province). After various pretreatments, including dry heating (120 oC, 10 min), exposure to electromagnetic waves (800 Hz, 3 min), and centrifuging (2950 g, 15 min), 33 acidophilic or acid-tolerant actinobacteria were isolated and their potentials as a source of active metabolites against H. pylori were investigated. According to phenotypic and molecular identification tests, the actinobacterial isolates were classified into Streptomyces and Kitasatospora genera. Among 10 strains that had anti-H. pylori activity, the highest potentials were seen in the strains UTMC 3061 and UTMC 3318. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the related metabolites were 125 and 62.5 µg/ml, respectively. In the checkerboard test, the metabolites of these actinobacteria showed synergism with clarithromycin and reduced its MIC from 1 to 0.5 µg/ml. However, no synergism was seen between the metabolites and amoxicillin or metronidazole. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the metabolites showed some antimicrobial agents, including carbamic acid, maltol, 2.4-di-tert-butylphenol, methyl dimendone, prolylleucyl, and oleamide. The strains UTMC 3061 and UTMC 3318 showed 99.41 and 100% similarity in 16S rRNA gene sequence to Streptomyces spinoverrucosus and Streptomyces cirratus, respectively. Their metabolites showed good antibiotic activity and limited toxicity and can be considered as promising sources of natural products against H. pylori.

Evaluation of Production and Economic Performance of Farmed Carp Using Small Lake-Commercial Fish Farms System in Southeastern Kazakhstan

Abstract: The objective of changing the simple exploitation of fish stocks to highly efficient fish farms in lakes and reservoirs is to improve the productivity of inland freshwater fish. The small- and medium-sized lakes can be used to increase the production of farmed fish with lake management. Therefore, this study proposed to investigate the production and economic efficiency of carp in lake commercial fish farms. In this investigation, the results of carp farming experiments in fish farms in small lake commercial fish farms (LCFF) are evaluated using advanced methods and techniques. The research was carried out based on the Voroshilovsky reservoir, which operated in the LCFF mode. The farm had hatchery and carp fry ponds for expanding fingerlings based on the "Scientific and production center of fishery" LLP from 2019 to 2020. This study was performed on different types of common carp and herbivorous fish (grass and silver carp), and sexual products were collected in fried ponds and the Voroshilovsky reservoir. The absolute growth gain of common carp, silver carp, and grass carp were 301.00, 300.40, and 577.00 grams, respectively, and their mean daily weight gain values were 2.50, 2.50, and 4.80 grams. Common carp recorded the highest level of planned fish productivity (169.30 kg/ha), and the lowest level of this trait was grass carp (43.50 kg/ha). Data of mean weight and body length of common carp, grass carp, and silver carp fishes showed a variation of 4.55 kg and 56.25 cm, 6.06 kg and 75.50 cm, as well as 6.30 Kg and 75.05 cm, respectively. This difference can be justified according to the variance of fish length, which on average, 80 grams of weight is obtained per centimeter of fish length. The economic efficiency of carp was calculated, and the net profit was determined at more than 50% of total income. According to the net profit indicator, due to the implementation of a part of the fingerlings, the carp reared in the pond area; as a result, this method is profitable and accounts for 104% of the total planned economic profit. Therefore, fish production from aquaculture can rise to 10 times to maintain high-quality food security and other essential nutrients, provide job opportunities, and cash income to help job-seeking youth.

Phenotypic, Antibiotyping and Molecular Detection of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolates from Clinical Specimens in Kirkuk, Iraq

Abstract: K. pneumoniae is globally responsible of hospital and community acquired infections. This study is aimed to determine prevalence of K. pneumoniae and study the antibiotic resistance profile among clinical specimens at Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk, Iraq and to detect on rpoB gene for molecular identification of Klebsiella pneumoniae in comparison with phenotypic and biochemical methods. 250 clinical specimens are collected from patients in Azadi Teaching Hospital in KirkukIraq from January 2018 to May 2018. The isolates were identified by morphologic and biochemical testing. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method is used in antibiotics susceptibility test. 19 (7.6%) K. pneumoniae isolates were isolated from 250 clinical specimens, 5 from males (5.61%) and 14 from females (8.69%), most of them 12 (11.76%) were isolated from 10-35 years’ age group. The isolates were reported high resistance towards various types of antibiotics especially penicillins and cephalosporins. In contrast, K. pneumoniae showed very low resistance to impenem and amikacin 5.26% ,10.52% respectively. The range of multidrug resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae isolates in this study was 100%. In gene detection all isolates in this study showed PCR product with 108 bp by K. pneumonia specific primer (rpoB). Developed antibiotic policies and regular surveillance of antibiotic susceptibility pattern may help to overcome the indiscriminate use of antibiotics a major cause of emergence of drug resistance among pathogens.

Therapeutic Potential of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Canine Medicine

Abstract: Platelets are the reservoir of growth factors and play a major role in several physiological processes such as coagulation, angiogenesis, immune response, and tissue repair. Platelet concentrates are broadly classified into two depending on their fibrin content: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF). They are further divided based on leucocyte contents. PRP is plasma containing supra-physiological concentrations of platelets. The growth factors present in the PRP play a crucial role in promoting local angiogenesis, regulating cellular activity, stem cell homing, proliferation and differentiation of different stem cells, and deposition of matrix proteins contributing to tissue regeneration. This review aims to establish the therapeutic potential of PRP in canine medicine with a particular focus on the applications in ophthalmology, dermatology, and musculoskeletal disorders. A systematic literature review was performed to identify literature during the past 20 years (2001-2021) using authentic academic databases, such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The initial search identified 556 articles, and based on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 59 articles were selected for further analysis. The clinical efficacy of PRP depends on the number of platelets and the growth factor concentration. PRP-based biological therapy has broad clinical applications in musculoskeletal pathologies. It is a simple, safe, and cost-effective method that can be used to treat various diseases and disorders in canine practice. For example, PRP is used for managing corneal ulcers, corneal erosion, alkali burn, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, burn wounds, chronic wounds, cutaneous ulcers, acute traumatic bone fractures, tendinopathies, cartilage pathologies, osteoarthritis, and abdominal wall defects either as monotherapy or as an adjunctive therapeutic agent. In addition, PRP is widely used as a carrier of mesenchymal stem cells for transplanting into bone defects. Therefore, Allogeneic PRP therapy can be considered a simple, safe, and cost-effective method to treat various diseases and disorders in canine practice. The therapeutic application of PRP in canine medicine is limited in the present scenario due to the lack of consensus for collection, characterization, and clinical use. However, further studies are required to establish the actual worth of PRP-based regenerative strategies in canine medicine.

Antibiotic Susceptibility and Biofilm Formation of Bacterial Isolates Derived from Pediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis from Tehran, Iran.

Abstract: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Children with CF commonly suffer from recurrent and persistent pulmonary tract infections caused by diverse bacterial pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and biofilm formation of bacterial isolates in pediatric patients with CF. The study population of this cross-sectional study included 8,908 children suspected to have CF by clinical manifestations from March 2015 to August 2017 who were referred to the Tehran Pediatric Central Hospital, Iran. The tests carried out for each participant included screening sweat test, sputum culture, antibiotic susceptibility test using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, and biofilm formation in microtiter plates method. Based onclinical examination and screening sweat test, 183 (2.05 %( out of 8,908 children, were positive for CF. The mean age of children was estimated at 2.93 years, and the majority of them were male (n=103, 56.2%). No gender-specific difference was observed in CF disease in this study (P>0.05). In addition, the results of sputum culture showed that 153 (83.6%) microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) were collected from CF patients. Normal flora was isolated in 30 (16.4%) patients and more than one bacterial species were isolated in 7.2% of patients. The obtained results indicated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most prevalent isolated bacteria followed by Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Based on the antibiotic susceptibility test results, P. aeruginosa and piperacillin/tazobactam had the highest (11.7%) and the lowest (2.3%) resistance rate against gentamicin, respectively. However, all K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to Cefotaxime. Among S. aureus isolates, 83.4% and 16.6% were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Concerning biofilm formation, 76%, 67%, and 72.5% of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and K. pneumoniae isolates were biofilm producers, respectively. Based on the study results, P. aeruginosa was the dominant pathogen in pediatric patients with CF from Tehran, Iran, and most of the pathogens were biofilm producers. No severe antibiotic resistance was observed in the isolates; however, the anti-microbial resistance profile should be carefully checked in CF patients on a regular basis.

Effect of Microbiota in the Development of Breast Cancer

Abstract: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women and causes the greatest number of cancer-related death among women all over the world. It approximately accounts for 15% of all cancer death. The human microbiota is the term applied to the aggregate of microbes that live in different habitats of living organisms 'bodies, including the gut, skin, vagina, and mouth, as well as nose, conjunctiva, pharynx, and urethra, among others. Increasing evidence is pointing to the role of the microbiome in the occurrence and development of a variety of cancers. Intestinal microbiome imbalance is related to the occurrence of gastrointestinal tumors, such as esophageal, gastric, colorectal, and gallbladder cancer. The present study aimed to identify the role of microbiota in the development of breast cancer. The women with breast cancer (n=130) in this study were in the age range of 25-75 years. The study was conducted in Kirkuk city of Iraq from September 10, 2019, to March 15, 2020. The control group included 20 women diagnosed with benign breast lesions in the age range 25-75 years, who matched the women in the patient group. Blood samples and breast tissue samples were taken from patients with breast cancer and benign breast lesions. Blood samples were examined through immunological methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adopted for the detection of interleukin-19 (IL-19). Breast tissue samples were taken from breast cancer and benign breast lesions patients to isolate and identify bacteria. Based on the obtained results, only 6 out of 30 (20%) cultured breast tissue samples from women with breast cancer showed bacterial growth. In total, 4 (67%) and 2(33%) of these 6 positive cultures were Escherichia coli was and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, and this relation was statistically significant. However, no bacterial growth was observed on the cultured breast tissue samples taken from women with benign breast lesions. Moreover, the difference between women with a positive and negative result of bacterial culture and stages of breast cancer was statistically non-significant. It is worth mentioning that 50 % of women with breast cancer and bacterial growth were within the age range of 40-49 year. The present study revealed that the difference between women with breast cancer and those with benign breast lesions was statistically highly significant according to the place of residence. In addition, the mean level of IL-19 among women with breast cancer was lower than that in women with benign breast lesions, and this relation was statistically highly significant.

Prevalence and Early Detection of Hypodermosis in Goats using a Competitive ELISA System in Lorestan, Iran

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and early detection of hypodermosis in goats by the investigation of Przhevalskiana larvae and sera collected from the infested animals. This study was conducted in Lorestan province, located in the South-West of Iran, from April 2017 up to April 2018. A total of 3350 goats slaughtered in Lorestan abattoirs were investigated by clinical-parasitological examinations in different periods. The larvae were collected from the back and flank regions of the slaughtered goats. The number of infested animals, gender and age, number of maggots present on the body of each animal, location, and larval stage of warble flies were recorded in this study. To detect an infestation in the early period, a total of 150 blood samples were randomly collected from the field animals in Lorestan, Iran. The morphological findings showed that out of 3350 goats examined, 706 (21.07%) goats were infested. Furthermore, three species of Przhevalskiana, including P. Silenus (n=726, 50.07%), P.crossii (n=440, 30.43%), and P. aegagri (n=284, 19.59%) were recognized as the causative agents of goat hypodermosis in this province. No significant difference was observed between genders and/or among the age groups (P>0.05). The anti-Przhevalskiana antibodies in the serum samples were detected using ELISA from August up to mid-September (summer). Clinical diagnosis of infestation was usually performed from late October until mid-March (winter) by visual observations and direct palpation of warbles in the back and flank regions of the animals. It could be concluded that the use of ELISA can help to detect hypodermosis among goats in the early stages.

Molecular Detection of Theileria annulata among Dairy Cattle and Vector Ticks in the Herat Area, Afghanistan.

Abstract: Theileriosis is one of the most important diseases in tropical and subtropical regions and leads to annual economic losses, such as the reduction of dairy products and casualties. Although the clinical form of bovine theileriosis has been observed in Afghanistan, to the best of our knowledge, no comprehensive study has been conducted on this issue. This molecular survey was performed to identify Theileria annulata and tick vectors in dairy cattle in the Herat area, Afghanistan, from June 2015-September 2016. A total of 100 dairy cattle were clinically examined and their blood smears, EDTA blood samples, and ixodid ticks were collected. The blood samples were transported to the laboratory, followed by the preparation of the blood smears and staining with the Giemsa method. The collected ticks were identified at the species (spp) level using the identification key and were then separated into 70 tick pools according to their species. Subsequently, the salivary glands were dissected out in 0.85% saline under a stereomicroscope. The DNA of blood and salivary glands was extracted using a commercial kit and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ring form of Theileria spp infection was observed in 22 (22%) of blood smears, while 74% of blood samples were T. annulata positive using PCR. Among the collected ticks, the numbers of male and female ticks were obtained at 219 and 130 ticks, respectively. The frequency of tick spp was rated in descending order as Hyalomma annatolicum (73.9%), Hyalomma excavatum (22.3%), Hyalomma nymph spp (12%), Hyalomma marginatum (1.7%), Hyalomma asiaticum (1.1%), and Hyalomma rufipes (0.75%). The PCR results showed that seven pools belonging to salivary glands of H. anatolicum were infected with T. annulata. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that T. annulata had a high frequency in dairy cattle and H. anatoloicum was also identified, such as the vectors of T. annulata in the Herat area, Afghanistan.

Investigation on the Influence of Synovial Fluid and Vitreous Humour on Avulsion Wounds Healing in Rabbits

Abstract: In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of Vitreous humor and synovial fluid on avulsion wound healing in rabbit’s model. The vitreous humor is a fluid that resembles gel consisting of approximately 98–99% water, little hyaluronic acid, glucose, collagen, anions, cations and ions. It is in the posterior eye chambers for the comparison with synovial fluid that consist from hyaluronin, lubricin, proteinase, prostaglandins and collagenase. Both synovial fluid and vitreous humor were collected from rabbits by aspiration of vitreous humor from the eye (postmortem) and arthrocentesis procedure in the collection of synovial fluid. Twelve adult rabbits were used in this study divided into three groups each group consist of four animals wounded experimentally as avulsion wound, the results showed vitreous humor (group B) influence on the healing of the wound is better than the synovial fluid (group C) in the clinical evaluation of wound narrowing. The histo-pathologically changes also revealed that in the vitreous humor treated group (group B) wound healing process proceeded better than other groups (control and synovial fluid groups). In conclusion, the histopathological and clinical observations mention that application of vitreous humor on wound will be pivotal in improving the avulsion wound healing and establish a new tissue in rabbits.

Frequency of k99, stx1, and stx2 Virulence Factors in Escherichia coli isolated from Diarrheic and Clinically Healthy Suckling Calves in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran

Abstract: It is necessary to understand the frequency of virulence factor-encoding genes in the assessment of the carriage proportion. Moreover, it is required in the characterization of major unique antigens that are useful in the development of effective immunological-based preventive measures. The current study aimed to evaluate the frequency of three encoding-virulence genes associated with Enterotoxigenic (ET) and Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli/EC) pathotypes (k99, stx1, and stx2) in North of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran. The frequency of k99, stx1, and stx2 was determined via polymerase chain reaction among E. coli isolates collected from the feces of the clinically healthy suckling (n=50) and diarrheic calves (n=50). The k99 gene was absent in all isolates, and the frequencies of the E. coli containing stx1 and stx2 or both stx1 and stx2 were estimated at 8%, 14%, and 4%, respectively, in the clinically healthy suckling calves (P>0.05), compared to 24%, 16%, and 6% in diarrheic animals (p <0.05). Among the three studied genes, there was a statistically significant difference between clinically healthy suckling and diarrheic calves in terms of the frequency of E. coli isolatescontaining stx1. On the other hand, the results of this study indicated that k99 was not a major fimbrial antigen-encoding gene in the ETECpopulation in the region. It is assumed that in any health measure intended to control the pathogen, other genes involved with encoding fimbriae should also be considered. The noticeable high frequency of E. coli isolates bearing stx1 and/or stx2 virulence elementsboth in clinically healthy and diarrheic suckling calves in this study isa concern for public health. Accordingly, it is recommended that further epidemiological studies be conducted on the role of the stx1 gene in the diarrhea of suckling calves in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran.

Development of a Novel Multi-Epitope Vaccine Candidate against Streptococcus Iniae Infection in Fish: An Immunoinformatics Study

Abstract: Streptococcus iniae infection is recognized as a disease with substantial economic losses that can infect a wide range of fish species. Limitations of current vaccines and strategies lead to the identification of new methods to control this disease. Multi-epitope vaccines which employ various immunogenic proteins can be promising. The current project was conducted to design an efficient multi-epitope vaccine against Streptococcus iniae infection in fish. In this case, six immunogenic proteins of Streptococcus iniae including: FBA, ENO, Sip11, GAPDH, MtsB and SCPI proteins, were applied for epitope prediction. The best B cell, T cell and IFNγ epitopes of the immunogenic proteins and interleukin-8, were used to construct a multi-epitope vaccine. Then, different parameters of the designed vaccine including physicochemical features, antigenicity, secondary structure and tertiary structure were evaluated. Moreover, the interaction of the interleukin-8 domain of the designed vaccine and its receptor was investigated by molecular docking strategy. Finally, nucleotide sequence of the vaccine was adapted to express in Escherichia coli. The results of this project showed that the designed vaccine was a stable vaccine with molecular weight and antigenicity score of 45 kDa and 0.936, respectively. Also, the structure analysis results revealed that the designed vaccine contained 23.49% alpha helix, with 90.5% residues in favored region. Finally, it was demonstrated that the interleukin-8 domain of the designed vaccine could be successfully docked to its receptor with the lowest energy of -1020.9. Based on obtained results, it seems that the designed vaccine can be an efficient candidate to prevent Streptococcus iniae infection in fish.

Potential protective role of Cyrtopodion scabrum in antioxidant parameters in serum and liver of rats with 5-FU-induced oxidative damage.

Abstract: Chemotherapy is the main approach for the treatment of cancer; however, it often causes unpleasant oxidative damages. Therefore, the development of an effective alternative/complementary therapy with improved tumor suppression efficiency and lower adverse effects is highly required. Recently, it has been shown that Cyrtopodion scabrum extract (CsE) is an effective and selective tumor suppressor medicine. The present study investigated the antioxidant activity of Cyrtopodion scabrum homogenate (CsH) and CsE and their effects on attenuating 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced liver dysfunction in rats. A total of 60 male rats (weight: 200-220 g) were divided into six groups and treated for 14 days. The control (group I) and 5-FU (group II) groups received distilled water and 5-FU, respectively. The other four groups were orally administered with CsE, CsH, CsE+5-FU, and CsH+5-FU (groups III to VI), respectively by gavages based on a daily schedule. The 5-FU-induced oxidative damage was evaluated by changes in the weight and food and water intake during the treatment and antioxidant parameters in the liver and serum of the treated rats. The obtained data indicated that the administration of CsH and CsE significantly improved liver function and defense system of antioxidants by attenuating the levels or activities of malondialdehyde, superoxide anion, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase and decrease of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione, total protein, and albumin in the liver and serum, induced by 5-FU treatment. The obtained data of the current study suggested that CsH and CsE play a protective role in the imbalance elicited by 5-FU and can be used as alternative/complementary supplements with 5-FU to reduce oxidative damages which is the consequence of reactive oxygen species production in cancerous patients.

Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activity of Methanol Extracts of Suaeda aegyptiaca Leaf on S. aureus, S. epidermides, E. coli and P. aeruginosa

Abstract: The screening of plant extracts for natural products and antimicrobial activity has revealed the potential of higher plants as a source of new anti-infective agents. In the current study, the antibacterial activity of methanol extract of Suaeda aegyptiaca leaf was tested against four bacteria species: two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and S.epidermidis) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The Well diffusion method was used to assess the antibacterial activity of the plant extract. The results showed that the methanolic extract of Suaeda aegyptiaca leaves was more effective against Gram-positive bacteria, with an inhibition rate of 18.28 mm, as measured by the spectrum of antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis bacteria, where the zone of inhibition ranged between (24.7- 12.7) mm and (20-13.3) mm against S. aureus, when compared to Gram-negative bacteria, which had a mean of inhibition rate of 14.28 mm, which were indicated by zones of inhibition ranging between (18.7 and 11.3 mm) against E. coli and (16.3-9.3 mm) against P. aeruginosa at concentrations Extract(10- 2.5 % ) as the mean of inhibition increases with increasing concentration of the extract. This suggests that this plant extract could be used to treat a variety of diseases caused by these pathogens. The presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, sterols/terpenes, and tannins in the leaf was validated by phytochemical screening, confirming the potential good source of antibacterial agents with the highest sensitivity observed. This indicates that this plant extract could be used to treat a variety of diseases.

Interleukin 17 Cytokine Profiles in Patients with Cystic Echinococcosis in Babylon Province, Iraq

Abstract: Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is the silent chronic Helminthes zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage in intermediate hosts of the dog tapeworm Echicoccous granulosus, which belongs to the Taeniidae family and genus Echinococcu ssp. According to the study of CE, the hospitalization and surgeries of patients indicated the high prevalence of the disease in Iraq.This study aimed to determine some immunological parameters in patients infected with Echinococcus granulose. The study of 53 patients infected with CE showed that in 40 (75.4 %), 5 (9.4%), 4 (7.5%), and 2 (3.7 %) cases the liver, abdominal cavity, kidney, and lungs were involved. In terms of age, most and least number of the patients were within the age ranges of30-40 (n=15, 28.3 %) and60-70 years old (n=7, 13.2 %), respectively. Moreover, 37(56.9%) and 16(43%) of them were female and male, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the level of the Interleukin family among patients. There was a significant increase in the serum level concentration of IL17A and IL17B in patients with hydatid disease, compared to the control group. The changes in different age groups also showed statistically significant differences among them (P≤0.05). The outcome of this study indicated that CE is endemic in Babylon province, Iraq. The ELISA technique is a reliable and efficient test for the early diagnosis and monitoring of human hydatid disease. Moreover, it was found that the liver was the most common site of human hydatid cyst.

Extraction and Purification of Extracellular L-Glutamate Oxidase from Streptomyces

Abstract: The bacterial isolates Streptomyces were obtained from the soil and cultivated in a wheat bran medium, which was used to produce the L–glutamate oxidase enzyme. The extracellular enzyme was then extracted using a cooling centrifugation process to obtain the filtrate that represents the crude enzyme. Afterward, the enzyme purification processes were carried out which included precipitation with ammonium sulfate as a preliminary purification step followed by dialysis to remove the salts. Next, ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration were used to finish the purification process, and the enzyme activity was determined for each purification step. The results of purification of L-glutamate oxidase enzyme from streptomyces using ammonium sulfate showed that the specific activity was 8.25 units/mg protein with a saturation ratio of 60%. Moreover, the results of purification using a dialysis tube indicated that the specific activity was 9.5 units/mg protein. In addition, the result of purification using diethylaminoethyl cellulose ion column revealed that the specific activity was 25 unit/mg protein and the results of purification using gel filtration showed that the specific activity was 56 units/mg protein which was the best step in the purification process due to high specific activity of the enzyme. The optimum temperature and pH for the activity and stability of the enzyme were tested. Based on the findings, the optimum temperature for the activity of the enzyme was 37 °C. In addition, it was found that the optimum temperature range for the stability of the enzyme was 30-50 °C. Besides, the optimum pH for the activity was 7.0 and the optimum pH range for the enzyme stability was 5.0-7.0.

Improvement of the Selectivity Index (SI) and Cytotoxicity Activity of Doxorubicin Drug by Panax ginseng Plant Extract.

Abstract: In China, Japan, and Korea, Panax ginseng has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Panax is a plant used as a general tonic or adaptogen for chronically ill patients. The current study evaluated the cytotoxicity of Panax ginseng extract (PGE). Different cell lines (HCT-116, LNCaP, and normal cell line VERO) were treated with different inhibitory agentsat different concentrations (1000, 500, 250, 125, 62.5, and 31.25 µg/ml) as follows: G1 (Methanol Panax ginseng extract, PGE), G2 (Doxorubicin, DOX), and G3 (Methanol Panax ginseng extract +DOX, PDD). Each inhibitory agent group was used to treat the cancerous cell lines HCT-116, LNCaP, and normal cell line (VERO) to obtain IC50% by MTT assay. The inhibitory ability of the 1000 μg/ml PGE was significantly increased in all the three-cell lines compared with other concentrations. The recorded data revealed that the inhibition ability of PGE and Doxorubicin towards the HCT-116 cell line significantly increased compared with the other cell lines. The interaction between different PGE concentrations and cell lines showed that the 1000 μg/ml PEG had the highest inhibitory effects on HCT-116 compared with other combinations. The interaction between different DOX concentrations and different types of cell lines showed that the 1000 μg/ml DOX had the highest inhibitory effects on LNCap compared with other combinations. The PGD inhibition ability reflected a significantly higher difference toward the HCT-116 cell line as compared with other cell lines. IC50% is the concentrations (µg/ml) to kill 50% of cell line. It was calculated by MTT assay for three cell lines: HCT-116, LNCaP, and VERO. The rate of effectiveness of the inhibitory factors (PGE, DOX, and PGD) showed highly significant differences toward the cell line HCT-116 compared to the other cell lines. This indicates the safety of the PGE compound and its low toxicity toward normal cells, quite the opposite of cancer cells as compared to the common drug DOX and combined PGD (PGE+DOX). PGD combined with DOX (PGE + DOX) showed antagonistic results toward the HCT116, LNCaP, and VERO cell lines, while UDE combined with DOX (UDE+DOX) showed synergistic activity.

Detection of invA, sivH and agfA Virulence Genes in Salmonella spp. isolated from Broiler Breeder Farms in Alborz Province, Iran

Abstract: Salmonellosis among poultry infectious diseases not only imposes economic losses in the field of poultry breeding, but also is considered a zoonotic disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of invA, sivH and agfA virulence genes in Salmonella spp.. The present study was conducted on 30 Salmonella strains. Samples were cultured on selective and differential media, and then the isolates were serotyped using specific antisera based on the Kauffman-White table. Subsequently, the samples were analyzed to detect invA, sivH, and agfA genes by PCR technique. The results indicated that 30 isolates (100%) had invA and agfA virulence genes and 28 isolates (93.33%) had sivH virulence gene. The highest frequency of serotypes was related to Salmonella infantis. Among the serotypes studied, Salmonella uno and Salmonella O35 lacked the sivH virulence gene, unlike other serotypes. The findings of this study could pave the way for Salmonella monitoring, and be used as a pattern to detect Salmonella bacteria bearing genes encoding invasion and fimbria.

Determination of Ferrous Oxide Nanoparticles Minimum Inhibitory Concentration against Local Virulent Bacterial Isolates

Abstract: The improvement of multi-resistance properties of the bacterial pathogen has recently been discussed as an emerging issue. In this regard, iron oxide nanoparticles have attracted the researchers’ attention due to their wide application in the realm of medicine. Iron oxide nanoparticles have a high specific surface area that enables them to interact with the bacterial surface structure and has considerable antibacterial activity. The current study aimed to synthesize a novel antimicrobial agent from iron oxide nanoparticles and determine its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) on different gram-positive and negative variant bacterial strains isolated and characterized from the infected urinary tract of Iraqi elderly patients. This study was conducted from September 2020 to December 2020 on 75 urine samples collected from the infected urinary tract of elderly patients in the ages range of 60-75 years admitted to Al-Yarmouk Medical Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. Isolation of bacterial isolates was carried out using differential and selective media. Afterward, they were characterized and confirmed using different biochemical tests and VITEK 2 system, respectively. Magnetic nanoparticles were fabricated by co-precipitation of ferric ions (Fe3+) and ferrous ions (Fe2+) in presence of ammonium hydroxide solution (25%). The characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was performed subsequently using UV-VIS spectroscopy analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX). The MIC of synthesized sonicated Fe3O4NP against different bacterial strains was determined using the broth culture dilution method through making serial dilutions of 50, 100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 800, 900 µg/ml from a 5mg/ml nanoparticle stock solution. Afterward, the lowest concentration of nanoparticles required to arrest the growth of bacteria was determined through the colony-forming unit of each treated bacteria on brain heart infusion agar. In total, 17bacterial isolates were identified from the infected urinary tract, five bacterial isolates (E. coli, Pseudomanas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Micrococcus luteus). In addition, two Proteus mirabilis strains were identified separately and were tested against synthesized Fe3O4NPto determine the MIC. The novel synthesized antibacterial agent showed excellent bioactivity, compared with controls (consisting of bacterial suspension without ferrous oxide nanoparticles), and the synthesized antibacterial agent was considered significantly active against all the bacterial strains at a p-value less than 0.05. The Fe3O4NP were active against gram-negative more than gram-positive bacteria. The MIC of synthesized and characterized Fe3O4NPwasapplied on seven gram-positive and negative bacterial isolates using bacteria-Fe3O4NP complex. Significant effects were observed on all strains, compared with controls, and this complex could significantly inhibit gram-negative more than gram-positive bacteria.

Identification of Conformational B-cell Epitopes in Diphtheria Toxin at Varying Temperatures Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Abstract: The changes in temperature levels can potentially affect the toxins in terms of stability and immunological properties via alteration of their structures. Diphtheria Toxin (DT) is highly considered by scientists since its mechanism of action is similar to those of most bacterial toxins, such as botulinum, tetanus, and anthrax. The protection of conformational B-cell epitopes is critically important in the process of diphtheria vaccine production. This study aimed to evaluate the conformational changes of the DT structure at three different temperature levels (27˚C, 37˚C, and 47˚C) using molecular dynamic simulations. Secondary structures were analyzed in YASARA software. According to the results, significant decreases were observed in percentages of the β-sheets, turns, and the helices of the DT structure at 47˚C in comparison with those at 27˚C and 37˚C. Furthermore, the tertiary structure of the DT was compared at different temperatures using the contact map. Accordingly, the results showed that the root-mean-square deviation of the DT structure increased upon temperature rising. In addition, amino acids D68, G128, G171, C186, and K534-S535 at 27˚C and 37˚C, as well as amino acids G26, P38, S291, T267, H384, A356, and V518 at 47˚C showed higher root mean square fluctuation values. The finding demonstrated that the stability of the DT structure decreased at high temperature (47˚C). The solvent-accessible surface area diagram showed that the hydrophobicity of the DT structure increased via temperature rising, and the amino acid residues belonging to B-cell epitopes extended through increasing temperature. However, B-cell epitopes belonging to the junction region of chains A and B were only present at 37˚C. The results of this study are expected to be applicable for determining a suitable temperature level for the production process of the diphtheria vaccine.

Anti-depressant Effect of Betaine Mediates via Nitrergic and Serotoninergic Systems in Ovariectomized Mice

Abstract: The aim of current study was to determine anti-depressant effect of betaine (BT) in ovariectomized mice and its possible interaction with nitrergic and serotoninergic systems. In experiment 1, mice kept as control and sham groups, ovariectomized (OVX), OVX+BT (12.5mg/kg), OVX+BT (25mg/kg) and OVX+BT (50mg/kg). In experiment 2, mice kept as control and sham, OVX, OVX+BT (50mg/kg), OVX+L-NAME (10mg/kg) and OVX+ -injection of the BT and L-NAME. Experiments 3-5 were similar to experiment 2, except L-Arginine (50mg/kg), Fluoxetine (5mg/kg) and Cyproheptadine (4mg/kg) were injected instead of the L-NAME. Then forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open field test (OFT) tests were done. Also, serum Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels were determined. According to the findings, OVX increased immobility time compared to control group (P<0.05). BT (50mg/kg) decreased depression induced immobility time compared to OVX group (P<0.05). Co-injection of the BT+L-NAME decreased depression induced immobility time in TST and FST and increased number of crossing in OFT (P<0.05). Co-injection of the BT+L-Arginine significantly diminished antidepressant activity of the BT on immobility time and decreased positive effect of the BT on number of crossing (P<0.05). Co-injection of the BT+fluoxetine significantly amplified antidepressant activity of the BT on immobility time and number of crossing (P<0.05). Co-injection of the BT+cyproheptadine decreased antidepressant activity of the BT on immobility time and number of crossing (P<0.05). BT (25 and 50mg/kg) reduced the MDA while elevated SOD and GPx levels in OVX mice (P<0.05). It seems, antidepressant activity of the BT mediates via nitrergic and serotoninergic systems in OVX mice.

Using Short Term of High Power Laser Therapy in Horse’s Tendon Injuries

Abstract: High-power laser therapy has been used as a treatment to cure sports injuries; however, there are no controlled standardized studies on its efficacy. Moreover, high-power laser therapy has been applied for the sport horses field. This study aimed to investigate whether high-power laser therapy can cure tendon disorders and reduce the pain in tendon lesions in injured horses and also to examine the effect of laser therapy on injured horses. This retroactive experiential clinical research was performed on50 racing horses between 5 and 15 years old. They were diagnosed with neither superficial digital flexor tendon nor deep digital flexor tendon injuries of the suspensory ligament on either hind or front limbs and were medicated with a high-power laser. The high-power laser was used with a maximum output power of 15000 MW and therapeutic effects were assessed using lameness graded and ultrasound the day after laser therapy (week 2) and 4weeks later (week 6). Results showed that laser treatment was effective and uncomplicated in all injured horses. In addition, significant improvement was observed in ultrasound scores and lameness following high-power laser treatment. There was a progressive correlation between the improvement of lameness and the following parameters; returning tendon survival, normality of tendon tissue and functions in rest, trot, or competition after treatment. According to the results, laser treatment is a good way to eliminate the complications caused by tendon damage.

Comparison of PCR and Conventional Serological Methods for Detection of Brucella spp. in Ovine and Caprine Blood Serum.

Abstract: Brucellosis is an anthropozoonotic disease. Infection of livestock with Brucella is endemic in most parts of Iran. Sistan-Baluchestan is bordered on the east by the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The high prevalence of brucellosis in livestock in the eastern neighboring countries results in transmission of the disease to this province. The present research aimed to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants in the Sistan region of Iran and to compare serological and molecular tests for the detection of brucellosis. Blood samples were taken from 150 randomly selected sheep and goats, and sera were separated. All sera were analyzed by serological (Wright and 2-ME) and molecular (Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)) tests. Serological tests were carried out according to the instructions of the Iranian Veterinary Organization The degree of agreement between serological tests and PCR was determined by kappa value. In this study, 17 cases (11.3%) were identified as positive by the PCR method. Wright and 2-ME tests had the highest agreement with PCR in titers ≥2/80 and ≥2/40, respectively. The results of this study show that the brucellosis in sheep and goats has a greater prevalence in the Sistan region than in most other parts of Iran, and this is important in terms of public health. It is suggested that brucellosis vaccination coverage in livestock be increased in this area and that the people in Sistan region must be notified about methods for preventing brucellosis. Also, further studies to compare conventional serologic tests with the gold standard test are recommended.

Bifidobacteriaceae Family Diversity in Gut Microbiota of Patients with Renal Failure.

Abstract: Bifidobacteriaceae family are gut microbiota that exhibit probiotic or health promoting effects on the host. Several studies have suggested that gut microbiota are quantitatively and qualitatively altered in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The present study aimed to assess the members of Bifidobacteriaceae family in fecal samples of patients with CKD and ESRD and compare them with non-CKD/ESRD patients to find any changes in their counts and diversions in these patients. Twenty fresh fecal samples from patients with CKD/ESRD and twenty from non-CKD/ESRD patients were examined. Whole DNA was extracted from fecal samples and the gut microbiota composition was analyzed by next generation sequencing (NGS). A total of 651 strains were identified from 40 fecal samples, 8 (1.23%) strains of which were identified as family Bifidobacteriaceae. The most abundant species in both control and disease groups were Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, and the least abundant species in the disease group was Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. There was no significant difference in the abundance of various species between the disease and control groups (p < 0.05). This study confirms that the members of the Bifidobacteriaceae family are not altered in patients with CKD/ESRD.